While no longer standing, the Westgate Theater was a beloved arts space in South Minneapolis for over 40 years. The founder of the Westgate, musician Carl Fust, had a vision of bringing people together during the Depression Era. He built the art deco theater in 1935, complete with a club room that could be rented by the community. In later years, the club room would become an art gallery and a library. After Carl’s death, the theater changed ownership several times before establishing itself as a place to see quirky, offbeat films.
—–Editor: Britt Aamodt Producer: Julie CensulloEditorial support: Emily Krumberger Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.
NARRATOR: Do you remember the Westgate Theater? The neighborhood theater in South Minneapolis no longer exists, but it once was a vibrant arts hub founded by a man named Carl Fust. Carl Fust was born in Chaska to a very musical family. Carl played the violin.
NANCY SASLOW: He learned to play the violin at age 8.
NARRATOR: That’s Nancy Saslow. She’s the granddaughter of Carl Fust. After Carl got married and had kids, he started selling insurance to make money. But his passion for the arts never waned. In 1935, he bought a plot of land at 45th and France, right off the streetcar line, and built the art deco theater. The Westgate was built to play movies, but it also had a stage.
NANCY SASLOW: And that was his vision, I think, was to bring music and theater to the neighborhood.
NARRATOR: The Westgate also had a club room that could be rented by the community.
NANCY SASLOW: So that was kind of his focus was let's get people together.
NARRATOR: Unfortunately, Carl died only two years after the Westgate opened. The theater closed in 1977, but for over 40 years, it operated as a beloved arts space, all thanks to its founder, Carl Fust.
MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at mn90.org.